


House Divided

by HannaVictoria



Series: Our Better Angels [1]
Category: Charby the Vampirate
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Haunted Houses, Magic, SEALs, Vampire Hunters, What is the measure of a "monster"
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-07-11 03:18:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7026370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannaVictoria/pseuds/HannaVictoria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Victor's been blundering into spooky stuff his whole life the only difference now is he's honestly a little more worried about the mortgage than is there a vampire around the next corner, and there probably is. He also worries about his friends he has these two groups you see: supernatural misfits and monster hunters... one of these isn't allowed to know about the other. Both are rather consistently in peril and Victor is standing in the middle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Disrupted Circle

**Author's Note:**

> I am history nerd. I love the hunters, I love them. This is all atmosphere and set up, hope you like it. I approach things from something of a human perceptive as in not from the Forrest side.

“A **house** just appeared out of nowhere?” Victor stared at said building before repeating “Nope. A goddamn manor appeared out of nowhere. Definitely abandoned, definitely wasn’t there a minute ago. Looks like it’s from another century but it’s barely rundown at all.”

On the other end of the line Blaine frowned “Could you hold on a sec- second thought I’ll rally the stragglers and meet you there.” Most of the hunters were already out on their usual runs but George and Rayna were late getting started and Wes still with a broken arm wasn’t heading out at all.

“What was that about?” Rayna asked him. “Victor just found an honest to god ‘house that wasn’t there before’. Victor called instead of handling it himself that alone seems troubling. Probably nothing I mean it sounds like a bad movie plot for god sakes.” 

She hmmed, “So either it’s going to be an old horror movie or on of those bad found footage knockoffs you make with your friends in middle school.” George looked skeptical, but kept it to himself.

“Boss! Can I go please~!” Wes begged. After much arguing and even more pleading he was coming. Little did they realize Victor already had backup lined up for his backup. 

“It’s a solid plan, but this is still risky. Worst case you getting busted reveals your supernatural connections.” Victor groaned “Yeah that’s like half the reason I called you guys. Alps are pretty much built for stealth and what’s more if I get outed for working with the Alp who saved him it’s going to go a lot smoother than it would than most anyone else I could call on for this.”

Toni thought about it a moment “Yous gonna use me as a big neon sign that not all “monsters” are monstrous?” he smiled “I like this plan already. But first hide and seek.” And with that both Toni and Yiska were mist. Not long after the gang was all there. George gave that multi-layered look he’d been giving him lately, Wes per usual noticed but said nothing. Rayna and Blaine had perfectly acceptable explanations for all above co-workers to act weird and moved on. “Yeah that’s a creepy house. How many entrances?”

“Two doors, a cellar, a balcony if you feel like climbing, and of course there’s windows…” They fanned out no visible booby-traps ‘It’s going to be something the second we walk in.’ they were all entirely too certain. “Okay front door is shmuck-bait” George pointed out. Wes considered the second floor offering, “Balcony would either be unguarded or more protected simply because you know you aren’t going to vaporize a girl scout that way, same for the windows.”

“Odds are decent the basement doesn’t even lead anywhere.” ‘Basement is either going to be boring and mold filled or unending horror, but that’s most of this place.’ “You’re just saying that cause you’re allergic to mold.” Rayna jibbed.

They chose the back door “It’s… a servants entrance.” The room if it could be called such was terribly underwhelming. Bare coat hooks, an ancient wicker basket accompanying a few dozen wooden clothes pins, the room lacked any form of decoration save for a framed needlepoint.

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

“Union? Just how old is this place?” Everyone looked at Vic “Wait you mean like the Civil War?” he shrugged “I can’t think of too many other capital U unions?” it wasn’t really important.

Next up was the kitchen, well first a small washroom even smaller than the last containing a pair of simple empty sinks. To pantries one full of china the second contained… well food strangely enough. A fully stocked pantry of seemingly fresh foodstuffs as if straight local deli. For a manor that felt both antique and as if the whole of the house had just…left for a moment and… it was quite unnerving.

Finally the kitchen, a long table in the center, counters, and a large black coal stove. It all looked like it was ready to be used at a moments notice. “I’m starting to wish something would attack already.” Most of the group shushed Rayna.

Passing a small bathroom they finally got a glimpse at what the house must have looked like to guests, the first public room: a library. Sheet music, and songbooks, books on art and animals, sowing patterns, history, theology, political theory, science, medicine, military strategy and everything else it seemed; The Origin of the Species and a Bible sat beside each other both worn to breaking.

“Whoever lived here really liked twos?” Wes wondered “What?” Victor ignored them in favor of the globe by the window “Almost a quarter of these are doubles.” His had jerked as he traced colonial Africa, Wes was right.

Or to be more specific he _was_ right up until the illusion on the doubles faded like mist at dawn “Spellbooks?” Blaine asked. Truthfully if they’d had any idea what they were looking at; well Victor knew enough to know he needed to bring the Twins and Kavon back here. 

“What is that?” the large atlas sized book had gone from drawings of some kind ostrich-thing Victor’d never seen before to an uncomfortably familiar sight, “The chapter heading reads “subspecies of vampire”?” which somewhat explained why they were staring at the glowing eyes of an Ancient.

Blaine flipped over pages ““The ever misunderstood vampire. For creatures man could call kin the amount not known is appalling.”” It outlined many things the hunters all knew, went into a few things they didn’t.

“Born vampires? A “Vampire Kingdom”?” They were in fact staring at the depiction of a man Victor knew to be King Roderick ‘Just who the heck wrote this?’

There was talk about what they could and couldn’t eat, a detailed dissertation on the ethics of hunting them, and even pictures and descriptions of a few of the more well known vampire ‘It sounds like whoever wrote this knew Charby with some familiarity?’

“Devil Eyes?” Rayna wondered, “You guys ever heard of this one?” Vic spoke up “Isn’t he supposed to be a master hypnotist or something?” “A classic Dracula-type “with a love of using people in the most literal of ways” please tell me he’s dead.”

“I… spotted him the night Vicki died I… this so far is just confirming my suspicion all we caught was Little Devil playing buzzard. It’s just to much up this guys alley.” He ground out with a bitter reluctance ‘This could blow up in **all** of our faces!’

Blaine stared disbelieving “Why didn’t you say anything?” he grimaced “I didn’t want to bring it up not unless I had something concrete!” Wes quickly turned the page looking for a segway to lighten the mood “Ooh~ ‘nother glowy eyes, “Lost Painter” never heard of him?”

And like that Blaine froze to his core ““Under normal circumstances vampires do not truly age past adulthood. It is said that in his sorrow the artist starved himself near to death in grief of his lost love. With his mind lost even to him this vampire is known only as he signed his works a simple “N” believed an initial.”” 

““Do not engage for any reason: The painter is normally docile until provoked, his senility makes him unpredictable and easily confused, if roused he will make a meal of one of your party when you least expect and pick you off one by one.””

“There’s a scribbling here… “The First Hunter”?” Victor put a hand on Blaine’s back “Is this **the** “N”.” he nodded before Victor caught a punch aimed he’d at the floor “Whoa, let’s not risk angering the magic house!”

Wes and Rayna took him aside while Vic caught George eyeballing the ethics page “Think one of their _friends_ ate them?” Vic sighed, “Mages can live for centuries, moved or got trapped in a magic bobble are just as likely. Now, care to talk what’s actually bothering you?”

The other hunter looked at him “Why are you so okay with all this? Whenever you talk about… it’s like it doesn’t matter or even register to you.” Victor looked at him side eyed then pointed to the book whispering, “You aren’t the first hunter with pointy eared friends and you aren’t going to be the last.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Victor recovered quickly “Wondering what happened to the owner? Me, I figure Witch: could definitely still be out there somewhere?” The others considered the notion as they continued on to another room.

This one was full of trophies “Willing to bet some of these are stuffed monsters under a similar spell?” George was suddenly a bit more talkative. It was a relatively uneventful if creepy room, they’d managed to trip over each other. Knocked some things over. “Told you.” the bear head that had fallen on Wes was now the head of some large Chimera.

Then came a grand parlor with among other things a grand portrait “Sara… VanJulivan?” “You can’t be serious?” “Do you remember anything about a witch in your family?” the last one had been Wes.

“I…my parents knew…” he was quiet for a long moment “I always assumed they knew nothing.” This soulful contemplation was interrupted by a snarl. The room started to go hazy, there was something stalking amongst the shadows.

“No one shoot!” they were all far to impaired by this… whatever the smell was, for so many of them to be firing at what they couldn’t even see. It went for Victor first just barely missing, but he knocked himself even more senseless slamming into a statue in the corner.

It went for Wes next thankfully getting more cast than arm. It didn’t take kindly to when they’d tried to stab it after that. Back to the shadows and the haze just kept getting thicker.

Then they’re was this light almost German sort of accent and Victor was stuck wondering ‘Since when is Toni a girl?’ when this great blue woman nigh on seven feet tall charges in grabs out of the darkness an iridescent black leopard, by it’s ear no less.

The woman scolded it “How many times must we go through this you decoration, away with you!” she threw it hard against the wall with a horrible crack “Is that wall glowing?”

“Of course, couldn’t go messing Sara’s nice home with every little tumble.” Without another word she placed a glowing hand on each of them in turn and in that order their fog cleared.

“Now care to explain why you’re traipsing through her house guns drawn?” they all looked at each other. “This house hasn’t been here in my entire life, we were looking to investigate.”

The woman slimed a mile wide “You are the protectors! Oh goodness, which one of you lot is the VanJulivan?” Blaine sheepishly raised his hand and she tuted. “Don’t just flounder there boy! You think a Fairy Queen will take you serious like that!? You have a legacy to live up to!!”

They all, none more than Blaine looked at her goggle-eyed “There been folk in your line who wouldn’t know an elf from a hole in the ground and no small number of them got themselves killed getting overwhelmed when someone came expecting things of them.”

She turned to Blaine smiling “My name is Anniken and I will attempt to help you in that any way I can. However there are some things you must learn for yourself. So study well and don’t forget to look within. No two VanJulivan have done things the same way.”

“How much can you drink?” Victor interrupted. Anniken smiled, clasped her necklace and was no longer blue her armor now a copy of what Rayna was wearing “Quite a lot.” “You mind wandering back to the forest at daybreak with a hangover?”

She smiled “We shall see?” Blaine pulled him away rather hard “Victor why are you flirting with a…?” “I think she’s just a “troll” that was petrified in the corner?” he called over to her, “Miss, what if you don’t mind me asking are you?”

“No you were right Troll is more than close enough.” Blaine looked chagrinned “On an unrelated note this isn’t far enough away for those ears.” That earned the scared hunter an aggravated look from his boss. “She _just_ saved us I figure escort her politely home and if I find something out on the way…?”

“I could go with him?” George offered “Yesss… he could?” Victor offered uncertainly; he’d hoped to talk Vampirate business with her. “Oh, do women have the vote now?” ‘Oh right we keep ignoring that…’ “Yes.” “Glorious! How does one register to vote?”

“When were you born?” Vic asked hoping for some miracle “Longer than most humans live.” He deflated a bit “You need proof you are either a citizen or allowed to be in the country. Faking that is kind of illegal, also harder than you might recall.”

“I see. Well where there is a will… Now I believe you boys said something about a drink.” George looked between Victor trying to look more certain than he was and Blaine who was not about to let them wander off with a random being they just met. He sighed, “Hole in the wall on Lexington maybe?” he had a feeling this was going to illuminate more than just their mystery woman’s secrets ‘Guess it’s good we’ll already be drinking.” 

“I should call Diana once we get there.’


	2. Pie at two in the Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaine has had a very hard day. Questions are starting to form, but he's too tired (mentally and physically) and later too drunk to really confront them head on. But that's are what friends are for! Blaine has friends? Blaine has friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be chapter three, but chapter two refuses to take form. Chapter two is dead, long live chapter two. I'm kidding it will probably happen some day, that or it's mutant offspring which at this point is way more likely. Point is a lot kind of happened. You didn't miss it, it's not posted yet. We're going out of order essentially.
> 
> Cyrus by the by was spun more or less out of thin air, supplanting the other blonde skinny guy from Here There Be Monsters. Just if anyone cared what he looked like or something.

Blaine looked up from the cooling pie he’d taken half a bite from, “Cyrus?” He looked at him impish intention, “Yes, Cyrus. Who owns this place. Did someone die?”

Blaine collapsed onto his hands “No, but I’m not sure if one of them will ever wake up. No one you know besides Ella; she has a few bruises and minor fractures.” Cy slid into the booth “I hate to break it to you, but it’s not like your greenhorns are strangers.” the old timers had long since passed it on he didn’t charge Blaine’s people full price.

“Her friend June is unlikely to be able to walk without assistance ever again and Mort’s in a coma.” There was more to it than that, but that could all heal… with a lot of medical care. “I hope he makes it, but I ain’t sorry the weasel kid’s out an enforcer for the time being.” He’d always told Blaine those two were shady.

“Don’t remind me. Maybe someone will take the whole thing as impetus to finally come to me. Dare I ask, those two turn a new leaf?” Cyrus looked doubtful. The older man sighed ‘I can’t stop their nonsense if I don’t know what it is.’ And he’d tried, even considered firing them; having those two close he at least had some measure of control over them.

“Has Victor ever acted oddly in your opinion?” Cyrus looked like he might be trying not to laugh, “You gotta be a little crazy to hunt. I think I might have liked this smaller group better, we were always a bunch of knuckleheads.” Blaine frowned deeply, “Suppose having a _real_ leader would help.”

“You do fine.” He reassured him “Anyway back to your question when it comes to you and Vic I always had trouble getting a read on you two; growing up with a very real monster under the bed I guess?” Cyrus didn’t know the details of course but neither man made a secret how long they’d known ‘Victor’s complete non-comprehension of supernatural ignorance always makes things interesting, especially with new hires.’

‘I’m really glad Blaine’s continued opening up over the years. Treats these new kids damn near like family and now some are hurt…’ he’d never met the cold teen Bert had loved to recount bitching into his scotch, but times like this always made him nervous he might close himself off again. “I think…”

He paused a long moment as Blaine hung on the edge of his seat “I think it wasn’t an Ursa,” he didn’t need to elaborate  the ursa: Victor’s eye that he’d nearly _lost_ “I think he might have had a lycanthropy scare.” And the older man’s world fell out from under him. At the time, he’d assumed it was the stress over the potential of partial blindness, but this fit too well to just dismiss out of hand.

“I… he did come to me asking about the “company policy” on werewolves… but that was recent, very recent.” He worried over it for a moment when a terrible thought hit “I don’t suppose you could…” he searched for the word “ _Typhoid Mary_ that sort of thing, do you?!” 

Cyrus shuddered hailing an employee who nodded and shuffled off “No clue. I generally try to stay out of Vic’s striking distance.” He was joking of course, but he had been caught by a stray blow from the taller hunter **once** and only once. 

“But why not come to me then?” Cy quirked an eyebrow and Blaine sputtered out “He didn’t… you don’t… oh lord, do you all think I’m some kind of monster!?” “So more liberal than…” the redhead glared death at him as one of the staff brought their boss his usual “To cause more avoidable death? Absolutely not! This is a disease and these people are fine all but a few hours a month. I would like nothing more than to solve this without involving a gun.” 

Cyrus eyed him over the side of his drink “So… if I were to tell you I’m pretty sure Bert used to run werewolf outreach behind your back?” the answer was apparent in the death groan and the smack of his head to the tabletop. 

The blonde restaurateur changed the subject slightly “Why were you asking if he’d been weird lately?” Cyrus was understandably curious. “We found a “little house that wasn’t there yesterday” literally. Setting aside that it was a very enchanted old VanJulivan estate I have never heard of, a statue came to life- some sort of troll specifically and Victor invited her for drinks!” 

Another sip “Well you did say “her”.” Blaine was not amused “I’m  not finished. I was saved a ways back from something incredibly nasty by an Alp: some kind of German “nightmare dwarf”- more harmless than it sounds. Guess who Victor showed up at the hospital with. So Toni chats with me while Victor drags off Glen, who somehow comes back looking better and worse than when he left. Zombie. Sorcer. Twins. that turn into Bunny Demons when they sneeze.” 

He nearly choked on the drink laughing before sobering to reality “So, Victor has friends he should by rights be aiming pointy objects at?” Blaine frowned “Magicians have never been on the hunted list… and I don’t think there that sort of zombie. But yes it does seem that way.” 

Cyrus sighed, ‘Surprised he wasn’t drinking.’ He’d never exactly been close to Victor, though a bit more so after those scars had kicked him off his high horse. He hadn’t seen him regularly since he quit and while they’d both changed and matured, the man he knew bringing a witch to presumably help injured hunters? 

“Come to think you are taking all this surprisingly well?” a short look from his former employer “I’m not an idiot. We all have our exceptions and personal lines not to be crossed. I’d be more concerned if you didn’t have moral questions about this job.” He ordered a drink himself “This however is excessive and I don’t even know how bad it is.” 

A grim look across his face “Bad timing he happens to mention just before all this he suspected the vampire who killed one of our more recent hires was a case of misunderstanding. I hadn’t thought much when he’d failed to kill him after so long; he’s survived active hunting centuries, but they all died.” 

That first “sip” he took was so fast Cyrus thought he was gonna end up with it spit back up in his face. Then he remembered, “You think… that Victor has been palling around with Little Devil instead of trying to kill him!?” Blaine never could hold his liquor ‘Please tell me the new guy remembered to water that down?’ 

“And what I want to know is who he was asking for… please god do not let Grandma Marlowe be a werewolf.” Which seemed very random out of context. “What would make you…?” he took off his glasses gesturing vaguely “It’s probably not. It was kind of a “sure let’s go with that” sort of thing and he seemed way too unconcerned, but then he’s usually more concerned for bystanders so…” he thought about it “I know I saw Glen and Mort last full moon…” 

He tried not to laugh at how tipsy his already frazzled ex-boss was getting “You been sleeping okay?” Blaine looked affronted “You’re not my Mom, or my Liz… you didn’t join the priesthood did you.” Cyrus just stared bewildered at the man “Don’t look at me like that, you’d be surprised how much that happens. Half the clergy in town would still be in gangs if it weren’t for me.” 

Cyrus started laughing, ‘Okay this is somehow worse than usual. Definitely not watered down.’ “So who is Liz?” cause hell if he was gonna pass this up “Liz is Liz.” Cyrus gave a smile that could mean only one thing “No! No, no, absolutely not.” He sounded quite genuinely horrified. 

“So she’s family?” Blaine looked away “If I had let her, probably.” in a tone that told sad stories. “Does she know?” he didn’t have to say what. “In general or what I do?” he snorted “Liz made all my clothes until… she still does that. Refuses to let me leave without a meal. So don’t go hitting on her or whatever.”  
“If she’s like your replacement mom why would I hit on-” he stopped at first cause when your drunk ass sort of insults someone’s kinda-mom that’s grounds to get punched, but no Blaine found his drink very interesting all of the sudden ‘Why does he look guilty? Why have I never heard of this lady?’ It stood to reason it was possible, but Blaine was pushing away his drink and being otherwise suspicious. 

“How old is she?” He got a defensive “You don’t ask a lady that!” ‘You do when you’re little.’ he pressed, “Ballpark it.” but the other man wasn’t budging. Now he was really curious, “What is so important about this ladies age?” “You tell me, cause it’s not!” as unconvincing as he could sound. 

He changed gears, “How does she know about magic.” Blaine bristled “I never said she knew a thing about magic!” he was so defensive it seemed almost certain she knew _everything_ about magic; Cyrus was dumbstruck, “Blaine is your foster mother a witch?” the older man grasped literally and figuratively for some ephemeral answer. 

“…I don’t know. I never have. I didn’t want to. For too long that was a deal breaker and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I needed her.” There was a long silence after that. 

“Well there’s as good an answer as any. Vic’s buttering you up with supernatural friends he knows- or at least hopes you’ll accept. Trust, but verify. You count Cal and she’d make two people who are at least sort of supernatural you can touch base with.” 

Blaine pulled back in the drink for another swig “I don’t know what Liz’s deal is, but knowing how to translate a few runes does not make Calvin Abernathy a sorcerer” and he really didn’t want to come to the man after they’d parted ways _because_ of that dabbling. 

Cyrus sighed, “The old band did make something of ourselves didn’t we? Cal’s following his dream, Bert doing his lone ranger thing (gotta wonder what he’d thinks of Vic’s new friends), Roy’s in the burbs, Eva’s some master chef, Luke is **alive** not to mention sober.” ‘I was 99% sure he was going to kill himself trying to hunt like that.’ Hunting wasn’t something you wanted to do even a little impaired. 

“So were those magic guys able to do anything?” the look he got wasn’t a good one “I stepped out, told them it was their choice. The surly one didn’t seem any more optimistic about Mort than the doctors.” For the sake of a total change of subject Cy resorted to frying his brain “So, girlfriend?” 

“No! And stop asking it’s not any of your business!” which was true but this was a super way to distract him “Boyfriend?” “Nope.” Aside from blushing like a schoolboy at the mere insulation of a _kiss_ half the damn time Blaine… like many others had wondered if he was gay; he’d heard something about him chasing a girl recently, but you can’t make a pattern from a single point 

There had been a point early in his “career” with Blaine that he’d been out with the man laughing at how he quite literally blushed at the word “sex” when they’d come across a… gory scene. Not a twitch, shoulders straight he muscled by Cyrus without a word callously examining things Cyrus still would not dare. The picture of cold efficiency until he turned, the fire in his eyes was unmistakable. 

They caught what or who had done it, but that wasn’t what he’d taken from the experience ‘The politicians and old money can say what ever they like, the Vanjulivan haven’t gone anywhere: this city is Blaine’s.’ it was then the phone began to ring. 

“’Ello?” Blaine was slurring by this point “Are you drunk? Cyrus?” it was a good guess or perhaps Ella was just hoping. “I’ll have Cinderella back to the office before he’s a pumpkin.” Whether that ‘creative edit’ was liquor or snark was up in the air, “Okay, just have someone chaperone _you_.” 

“So I passed on the whole magic mumbo-jumbo; I’m no use against this guy, no need for them to waste energy there. Might visit some family in Vancouver for a few weeks? I just don’t know.” she sounded thoroughly worn down. “June’s practically up and running though. Turns out the human knee is about as mysterious to magic as it is to medicine so she going to need a cane and I doubt she’s going back into the field, but I’ll take my miracles where I can get them!” ‘Just how bad was her leg?’ Cyrus couldn’t help but wonder. 

“Hey so Cy you’re not going to believe this!” she announced cheerfully “Glen and Mort…” she paused her voice and cheer both shaking “totally saved our lives.” Both men took a moment to absorb this “And it turns out magic might have a leg up on medicine where brains are concerned.” 

That got their attention. “It’s not going to happen today or anything and it’s only going to be so much, but the gears are still turning up there.” Her mood picked back up “And Glen’s got **that** look. Once he gets like this there’s no stopping him!” she said that in a way not at all proportional to the dread it inspired ‘Just what look is she talking about?’ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun with drunk Blaine. :)
> 
> Elizabeth Greene now there's a lady who ready is spun out of nothing. Nothing but my need for Blaine to be loved! Actually she's spun out of WAY more than that, but spoilers.
> 
> Damn, the kids are not alright. Not gonna lie in the original version of this story Glen and Mort both died. I however, cannot kill off a character to save my life. Also, it was cooler to do this. Glen's heart (Mort) is "broken" but that doesn't mean despair. Obsession the likes that would give an "Elite" pause... maybe. I haven't written that part yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Victor and George have wandered off to toss a few back with a surprise guest OC. I kind of headcannoned Blaine as a poor little cinnamon when I first started reading (it's been like a year) and this along with a bizarre shipping him with Victor that is unlikely to show here as more than a BroTP... THE POINT IS! I have created a monster. There is time travel and if I ever get the end one character isn't even carbon-based anymore...help me.
> 
> Next time however bars, who the hell was Sara, and maybe some Diana!


End file.
